Mourinho says omens are in favour of Chelsea

If the roar of the Liverpool fans stood just behind his dug-out on the final whistle made any impact on Jose Mourinho, it did not show. In the eyes of the Chelsea manager the path to the European Cup final is now an uncomplicated one.

"It is more pressure for them than for us now," he reflected after the stalemate of Stamford Bridge. "Ninety-nine point nine per cent of Liverpool fans believe they are in the final and they are not. For us it is now like an FA Cup tie played away from home and it will be difficult for them. It is one thing to play for a 0-0, it is another to create."

Mourinho did not accuse Liverpool directly of stifling the tie and although he suggested that they indulged in time-wasting, he said it was part of "an intelligent game". Nevertheless, he found omens everywhere in the result. In the Carling Cup semi-final, Manchester United had held Chelsea 0-0 at Stamford Bridge but lost the second leg 2-1. "And it was 0-0 when Porto played Deportivo at home in the semi-finals of the Champions League last year," he smiled. "Liverpool lost Xabi Alonso in the last minute and then Deportivo lost Mauro Silva. I think we are going to the final."

His opposite number, Rafael Benitez, laughed that he was in the 0.1 per cent of Liverpool supporters who did not believe they were through. Given the superlative way Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher ensured Jerzy Dudek had not a single shot to save, there was a tinge of disappointment in their captain's voice as Steven Gerrard faced the cameras. "We did not come here for the draw," he said. "We wanted to nick a goal to take back to Anfield. It was a good result against a quality team."

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After the way he enraged Liverpool supporters after Chelsea's equaliser in the Carling Cup final, Mourinho is aware of the reception he can expect on Merseyside. "It is a fantastic place to play, but we need a good referee who does not feel the pressure."